Bicycle



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1,

W. LYON.

BICYCLE.

No. 329,402. Patented Oct. 27, 1885.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. LYON.

(N0 Model.)

BIGYGLB.

No. 329,402. Patented Oct. 27, 1885.

Bure rber WOMALQLBO, M @M VWK/messes dz/ WMM-M N. PETERS, #Mmmm-dph, wnhingmn. D4 ti lUNiTsn STATES PATENT Ormea@ VALLACE LYON, OF BRIDGEIJOBT, CONNECTICUT.

BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,402, dated October 27, 1885.

Application filed April 26, 1884. Renewed September 1E), 1885. Serial No. 177,571. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALLaoE LYON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bicycles; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain novel and useful improvements in bicycles, and has for its object to provide such a propelling mechanism as may be turned by the feet and used as a crank, and which may with facility be changed to a treadle; and with these ends in view my invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter fully and in detail set forth, and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which myinvention appertains may more fully understand its construction and operation, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of abicycle provided with my improvement, showing it adapted to be used by rotary motion; Fig. 2, aside elevation of the crank when adapted to be used as a treadle; Fig. 3, a central verticalsection at the line x x of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a detail side elevation of my improvement, showing the face of the cap broken away; Fig. 5, adetail side elevation showing the arrangement of the spring within the drum; Fig. 6, a front view of the central plate of the crank, showing the means for establishing a rigid connection between the crank and the cap.

Similar letters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

A is a circular drum adapted to receive the axle, and having upon its periphery the cam-surface C, provided with notch C. (See Fig. 5.) The width of this cam-surface is onet-hird the width of the face of the drum. This drum has also upon its outer circumference the cam-surface D, which overlaps the cam C. (See also Fig. 5.) The width of the cam D is the same as that of C, and its position is in vsuitable manner.

the center of the face of the drum. At E the face of the drum is provided with a shoulder, which occupies the remainder of the width of the face of the drum not occupied by the camsurface C. Vithin the drum is coiled thespring F,whese inner end is attached to an inward projection of said drum, and whose outer end is connected to the rear face ofthe plate G in any This plate has at its outer end attached thereto or formedintegral therewith the frame H, and between the raised sides of said frameisalongitudinal opening through the plate. In the face of the plate, and cutting into the raised hub at its center, are the holes a a, for the purpose presently explained. Upon the rear face of the said plate is also a hub-like projection, which holds within the drum, and which forms a bearing within which the axle may turn. Upon the sides of the frame H are secured flat springs L, having attached thereto the cam-faced projections M, as seen at Fig. 6. Upon the rear side of the frame, and between its raised edges, is a plate, N, whose outer end extends beyond the end of the crank, and upon the front side of the frame is another plate, O, upon the lower end of which is a lug, I), whose use will be presently explained. Both these plates set within the plane of the sides of the frame. Between the plates N and O, and attached to them by a screw or bolt, is the double-faced cam Q, whose ends are adapted to act upon the cam-faced projections M. The two plates N and O are free to slide up and down in the central openingr between the sides of the frame.

R is a cap adapted to receive the axle B, which is rmly attached to it by means of a key or other suitable device. This cap lits upon the plate G, and is provided with a cam-surface, S, having at its highest point the notch T.

U are friction-pawls having at one end depending pins, which t within the holes a a in the plate, and V are springs attached to the free ends of said pawls, and fastened at their other ends to pins b b, rigidly secured to or cast integral with said plate. These pawls are of sufficient length to bind firmly against the inner circumference of the cap when said cap is rotated toward the springs.

WV is a bar attached to the fork of the bicy- IOO cle in such manner-as that it may be readily moved up and down, and upon its lower end said bar is provided with lug X. At the point Y of the crank any ordinary pedal is attached.

The operation of my improvement is as follows: When the lug P rests within the notch T in the cam-surface ofthecap, it will be readily seen that said cap and the axle,which is rigidly attached thereto, will be firmly secured to ro the plate G, so as to turn with it when rotary motion is applied from the pedal. The drum A, being attached to the rear surface of the plate by means of the spring, as previously set forth, willturn with said plate, and the r 5 whole is then capable of rotation, as in an ordinary crank-motion. In order to operate the bicycle with a treadle-motion, the bar W on the fork is pushed downward until the lug X engages with the notch C', thus holding said 2o drum as against all rotary motion. Then any power applied to the crank will cause the lower end of the plate N to ride up on the surface of the cam D. As the plate N and plate O on opposite sides of the plate are securely attached to one another by the screw or bolt,which also holds cam Q between them, this raising of the plate N by riding up on the cam D will force y the cam Q against and past the projecting cams i M, and the lug P will be raised out of the notch 3o T in the cap and be held in this position by the projections M, resting under the cam Q. As the drum A isheld fast to the fork by the lug X, resting within the notch C', the tendency of the spring within the drum is to hold 3 5 the crank upright and against the shoulder E upon the drum. Any movement of the crank forward will therefore be against the resiliency of the spring, and the tendency'of said crank when released will beto return to its position 4o against the shoulder E. The forward motion of the crank also causes the pawls U to hold against the inner circumference of the cap R, thus during the forward motion of the crank binding the cap, and consequently the axle, to 4 5 the crank itself. When the pressure upon the crank ceases, the resiliency of the spring within the drum causes said crank to return to its l position against the shoulder E, and the pawls,

being attached to the plate G, let go their hold 5o upon the cap R and return with the plate to their normal position, leaving the cap and axle free to revolve forward freely.` When pressure is again applied to the crank, the pawls' once more bite against the inner circumfer- 5 5 ence of the cap and rotate it and the axle. To change the treadle once more to a crank, it is only necessary to pull up the bar W, thus releasing the drum A from its connection' with the fork, and to press down the plate N, which 6o forces the cam Q past the cam-surfaces M, and allows the lug P to enter the notch T, thus binding the cap, and consequently the axle, to the crank itself.

By the use of my improvement the rider is to that of a treadle, and viceversa. Thisvis most advantageous in many ways. The change of themotionfof the feet is a great rest to the rider. In descending a hill the rider is not compelled, as in ordinary bicycles, to rest his legs upon the handle-bars or allow them' to swing free from the cranks, but is enabled to-keep his feetupon `the pedals when the crank is adapted to be used with treadle-motion, thus furnishing a convenient restingplace for the feet and greatly steadying the machine. Furthermore, in ascending a hill or in propelling the bicycle through a soft or sandy place in the roadway, it is found most convenient to employ short quick strokes, as may be done by the use of my improvement, where in an ordinary crankthe circuit of the pedal must be completed before another pressure can be applied, and the cranks are liable to become set on dead-center; also, in my improvement, when the treadle-motion is used, both feet may be employed to push against the pedals at the same time, which is impossible in ordinary crank propelling mechanism.

In my improvement I do not wish to be confined to the exact construction shown; neither do I wish to be understood as claiming merely its application to a bicycle, as described, the gist of my invention resting in the broad idea of so constructing a crank for the propulsion of vehicles that by a simple adjustment it may be used either as an ordinary crank or as a treadle.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

IOO

1. In a bicycle, as described, the drum surrounding the axle, provided upon its periphery with cam-surfaces, one of which is notched, and having coiled within the same a spring, in combination with means for establishing a rigid connection between said drum and the fork of the bicycle, substantially as described.

2. The cap having securely attached thereto the axle and provided with a notched camsurface, as shown, in combination with means for securely binding said cap to the body of the crank, substantially as set forth.

3.' The central plate having upon its outer face the friction-pawls, as described, in com- 3 bination with the cap, upon whose inner circumference said pawls are adapted to bind, and wit-h the drum and spring upon the rear side of the plate, substantially as described.

4. The front plate, O, having lug P, and the rear plate, N, secured together and adapted to slide within the frame, in combination j with the cam-surface D upon the drum,whereby the lug P may be raised out of the notch of the cap, substantially as set forth.

5.. The double-faced cam secured between the front and rear plates and adapted to slide with them within the frame, in combination with the cam-surfaces M and the springs actu` ating the same, substantially as set forth.

65 enabled to readily change the crank-motion l 6. In combination with .the drum, the slid- IIO Ving bar upon the fork of the bicycle, provided with a. lug and adapted to engage with the In testimony whereof I afx my signature in notch in the cam-surface of the drum, subpresence of two Witnesses. stantially as set forth.

7. In combination with the central plate of VALLAGE LYON. 5 the crank, the drum A, and cams C and D thereon, and spring F therein, the pawls U, Witnesses: actuated by springs V, and the front cap, R, S. S. WILLIAMSON, al1 as described, and for the purpose set forth. W. T. HAVILAND. 

